Finger tip tools



Feb. 21, 1956 F. BROWNE ET AL 2,735,321

FINGER TIP TOOLS Filed Nov. 26, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [NVENTURS FRANBEB E R EIWNE HARRY A. B R DWNE BY W ATTURNE Y Feb. 21, 1956 F. BROWNE ET AL Filed Nov. 26, 1952 FINGER TIP TOOLS INVENTURS FRANCES ERuwNE BY HARRY ERuwNE ATTUENEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent FINGER TIP TooLs Frances Browne and Harry A. Browne, Jordan, N. Y.,

assignors of one-fourth to John T. Mains and onefourth to Francis P. Keiper, both of Syracuse, N. Y.

Application November 26, 1952, Serial No. 322,748

2 Claims. (Cl. 81-13) This invention relates to finger tip tools, and more particularly to a tool or tools for holding threaded fastening members, adapted to be placed on a finger tip for reaching otherwise inaccessible locations, for facilitating the coupling of threaded members, and holding one of such members from turning while drawing the members tight.

The invention has to do with a resilient finger tip ring having suitable sockets or other threaded fastening-engaging devices adapted to hold or grip a threaded member while reaching the finger tip into otherwise inaccessible locations for holding the threaded member while coupling to its mating member and drawing the same tight.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the finger tool;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the tool;

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken on the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of the tool as formed on a blank of soft material and before the blank has been upset and tempered to the finger-receiving shape shown in Figs. 1-4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a modified form;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a second blank of soft material, the blank having a struckup portion which Will serve as a screw-driving bit;

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line 88 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a third blank of soft material, the blank having a dimple which is shaped so as to serve as a driver for Phillips screws;

Figure 10 is an enlarged front elevation of the form shown in Figure 9;

Figure 11 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a fourth blank of soft material, the blank having slits radiating from a central cut-out for forming another modification of the finger tool;

Figure 12 is an enlarged front view of the modification of Figure 11, after the blank has been upset and tempered to a finger-receiving shape;

Figure 13 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a fifth blank of soft material, the blank having struck-up portions to provide a modified form of the tool shown in Figure 8; and

2,735,321 Patented Feb. 21, 1956 Figure 14 is an enlarged front view of the form shown in Figure 13 after the blank has been upset and tent pered to a finger-receiving shape.

Referring to Figures 1-5 in the drawings, the finger tool comprises an open conical finger ring portion 20 tapered to fit the tip of a finger. Such ring portion is formed of resilient material such as spring steel, stainless steel, bronze, sheet plastic or other material as may be preferred. Centrally of the ring portion 20, there is extruded outwardly a hexagonal short sleeve portion 22, the transverse dimensions of which are gaged to fit a hexagonal threaded nut, or the hexagonal head of a screw. The length of the sleeve is made sufficient to form an adequate receptacle for a nut, or head, the length being approximately the thickness of a nut or head, or a selected average thereof.

The split ring may be initially formed of soft stock, and after forming, the ring may be tempered to provide resiliency if desired. In'practice, all edges such as 24 Will be rounded to avoid abrasion to the operator. It will be seen that an operator, in order to hold a screw or nut in an inaccessible location, can apply the ring to the end of the finger, seat a threaded member in the socket, and thus position the threaded member in the inaccessible location while the other mating threaded member is started by rotation. Thereafter, the ring is held against rotation by the finger while the threaded members are drawn tight in the usual manner. The taper and resiliency of the ring render such ring relatively safe, since if the nut or threaded member jams during the threading process, any excess tendency of the ring to twist will tend to dislodge the ring from the finger, protecting the operator from injury should excess torque in holding a threaded member be manifested.

In the form shown in Figure 6, a hexagonal tubular section 28 is soldered as at 30 to the split ring 32, which ring may, as at 34, form a bottom for the nut or head, as the case may be, although in practice, the open hexagonal aperture in the form of Figures 1-5 is satisfactorily closed by the exposed finger tip beneath, as at 36 (see Figure 1).

In the form shown in Figures 7 and 8, a tongue 38 is struck up out of the blank 40, before forming the blank to the open tapered ring, such tongue 38 being of a width to satisfactorily engage the slot of a screw, or the slot of a nut if slotted nuts are to be applied.

In the form shown in Figures 9 and 10, there is formed in the blank 41 a dimple 42 of cross shape adapted to be received in the recess of the head of a Phillips type screw, such shape embodying driving wings 44. In each of the forms shown in Figures 7-10, the forming of the threaded-fastening-engaging portion is preferably effected prior to forming the open ring shape, although such procedure can be reversed.

In the form shown in Figures 11 and 12, the receptacle for the threaded member is formed by slitting the blank 44 as at 46 to provide tongues 48, which are then bent to form a hexagonal recess as at 50. When the open ring is formed, the spreading of the ends 52 and 54, by insertion of the finger tip, tends to flex the strip in the region 56, and tends to cause the ends 58 of the tongues to move inwardly. In this manner, the member is adapted to resiliently grip a threaded fastening member such as a nut or hexagonal head, so that the threaded member may be inserted into inaccessible locations either above or below the finger tip, without danger of the member dropping out of the socket.

In the form shown in Figures 13 and 14, the tongue of the modification of Figure 8 is split into three upstanding sections, the parts being struck from the blank 66 to form upstanding tongues 68, 70 and 72, such tongues leaving apertures 74, 76 and 78 in the blank. When such blank is formed'into an open resilient ring, spreading of the ring ends-80 and 82 tends to flex the ring in the region 84, and tends toimove the tip 86 circumfertially with respect to the tips 88 and 90, to spread the tips so as to grip the slot of a slotted screw head; Thus such a ring may hold a screw either above or suspended from the finger ring without dropping.

It is contemplated that the ring tools may be made in sets with nut recesses or tongues or wings of dififerent standard sizes to accommodate the various sizes of nuts or threaded members commercially on the market.

While several embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Asvarious changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as Will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A finger tip tool comprising a flat strip of resilient material formed into a tapered O-shape open ring adapted to resiliently fit on the end of a finger tip, and a threadedfastening-engaging socket member of polygonal shape drawn from said strip material outwardly and centrally thereof and forming a polygonal wrench socket, the walls of said socket being separated from one another, and said strip being rendered flexible in the region of said socket by the metal removed therefrom, whereby flexing the open ring to increase the diameter thereof reduces the cross section of said socket by moving opposed separated portions thereof toward one another.

2, A finger tip tool comprising a flat strip of resilient material formed into a tapered C-shape open ring adapted to resiliently fit on the end of a finger tip, and threadedfastening-engaging members struck outwardly from said strip material and'centrally thereof, said strip being rentiered more flexible in the region of said struck out members than elsewhere, said members having their outer tips movable. circumferentially with respect to one another upon flexing said strip in said region by increasing the diameter of the open ring whereby to grip a threaded fastening by circumferential, relative movement between said tips.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

